Sichuan Airlines resumes flights to iGA Istanbul Airport

iGA Istanbul launches routes to China following a three-year hiatus. CREDIT: iGA ISTANBUL

China-based airline company, Sichuan Airlines, has resumed flights to Istanbul after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sichuan Airlines flight will depart from Chengdu in China, and was celebrated at iGA Istanbul Airport. The ceremony was attended by Wei Xiaodong, Chinese General Consul in Istanbul, General Manager of Sichuan Airlines, and Turgay Yaman, Corporate Relations Director of iGA Istanbul Airport.

Sichuan Airlines, one of the leading airline companies based in Chengdu, China, has resumed flights to Istanbul, which were paused during the pandemic period. The first flight to iGA Istanbul Airport took place on Wednesday 21 June 2023. It was announced that Sichuan Airlines’ Chengdu-Istanbul flights would operate twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, using Airbus A330-200/A330-300-type aircraft.

The aircraft, which took off from the city of Chengdu in the province of Sichuan, was greeted with a ceremony at iGA Istanbul Airport. In addition to the iGA executives, the event was attended by Wei Xiaodong, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Istanbul, Wu Jian, Chinese Deputy Consul General, Meng Fanwei, Economic and Trade Advisor of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Istanbul, and Cheng Xiaobo, General Manager of Sichuan Airlines.

Speaking at the event, iGA Istanbul Airport’s Corporate Relations Director, Turgay Yaman, said, “The Chengdu-Istanbul flights resumed following the recent opening of the Chengdu Consulate General, the fifth diplomatic representation of the Republic of Türkiye in China, and will contribute to taking the close cooperation between the two countries to even greater levels.”

The 91^st airline to fly into iGA Istanbul Airport

Among iGA Istanbul Airport’s goals for 2023, is to increase the number of airlines operating at the airport to 100. With Sichuan Airlines becoming the 11^th airline to start flights to iGA Istanbul Airport in 2023, the total number of airline companies hosted by iGA Istanbul Airport has now reached 91. As of 21 June 2023, the number of airlines operating between China and Türkiye has increased to two.